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Second
Definitions
- 1 Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two. not-comparable
"He lives on Second Street."
- 2 Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior. not-comparable
"May the day when we become the second people upon earth […] be the day of our utter extirpation!"
- 3 Being of the same kind as one that has preceded; another. not-comparable
"Residents of Texas prepared for Hurricane Harvey, which would in some ways turn out to become the second Hurricane Katrina."
- 1 a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first wordnet
- 2 coming next after the first in position in space or time or degree or magnitude wordnet
- 1 After the first; at the second rank. not-comparable
"Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system."
- 2 After the first occurrence but before the third. not-comparable
"He is batting second today."
- 1 in the second place wordnet
- 1 Something that is number two in a series.
- 2 A unit of time historically and commonly defined as a sixtieth of a minute which the International System of Units more precisely defines as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of caesium-133 in a ground state at a temperature of absolute zero and at rest.
"Holonyms: decasecond < minute < hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond < fortnight < month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond"
- 3 One who supports another in a contest or combat, such as a dueller's assistant.
"The dogs however parted, and after a little handling by their seconds immediately returned to the charge"
- 4 the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed near the second of the bases in the infield wordnet
- 5 Something that is next in rank, quality, precedence, position, status, or authority.
Show 23 more definitions
- 6 A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a minute of arc or one part in 3600 of a degree.
- 7 One who supports or seconds a motion, or the act itself, as required in certain meetings to pass judgement etc.
"If we want the motion to pass, we will need a second."
- 8 merchandise that has imperfections; usually sold at a reduced price without the brand name wordnet
- 9 The place that is next below or after first in a race or contest.
- 10 A short, indeterminate amount of time. informal
"I'll be there in a second."
- 11 Aid; assistance; help. obsolete
"Give second, and my love / Is everlasting thine."
- 12 the gear that has the second lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle wordnet
- 13 A manufactured item that, though still usable, fails to meet quality control standards. plural-normally
"They were discounted because they contained blemishes, nicks or were otherwise factory seconds."
- 14 a speech seconding a motion wordnet
- 15 An additional helping of food. plural-normally
"That was good barbecue. I hope I can get seconds."
- 16 the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match wordnet
- 17 A chance or attempt to achieve what should have been done the first time, usually indicating success this time around. (See second-guess.)
"The policeman smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Now if you'll follow me, I'll escort you to the Victoria." "Oh, there's no need of that. If you'll just point me in the right direction..." That's what got you in trouble the first time around. You don't need a second."
- 18 a 60th part of a minute of arc wordnet
- 19 The interval between two adjacent notes in a diatonic scale (either or both of them may be raised or lowered from the basic scale via any type of accidental).
- 20 following the first in an ordering or series wordnet
- 21 The second gear of an engine.
- 22 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites wordnet
- 23 Second base.
- 24 a particular point in time wordnet
- 25 The agent of a party to an honour dispute whose role was to try to resolve the dispute or to make the necessary arrangements for a duel.
"Since he [i.e., Abraham Lincoln] had very long arms, he chose cavalry broadswords and took lessons in sword fighting from a West Point graduate; and, on the appointed day, he and [James] Shields met on a sandbar in the Mississippi River, prepared to fight to the death; but, at the last minute, their seconds interrupted and stopped the duel."
- 26 an indefinitely short time wordnet
- 27 A Cub Scout appointed to assist the sixer.
"Many packs have a sixer's council where the sixers, and sometimes the seconds, meet with Akela and some of the other leaders."
- 28 A second-class honours degree. informal
"[Stephen Hawking] […] would go to Cambridge, he said, if they gave him a first, and stay at Oxford if they gave him a second. He got a first."
- 1 To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. (See etymology 3 for translations.) transitive
"I second the motion."
- 2 To transfer temporarily to alternative employment. UK, transitive
"The army officer was seconded while he held civil office."
- 3 transfer an employee to a different, temporary assignment wordnet
- 4 To follow in the next place; to succeed.
"In the method of nature, a low valley is immediately seconded with an ambitious hill."
- 5 To assist or support; to back. transitive
"Wee haue Supplyes, to ſecond our Attempt:[…]"
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- 6 give support or one's approval to wordnet
- 7 To climb after a lead climber.
- 8 To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. (This may come from etymology 1 above.) transitive
"I second the motion."
- 9 To accompany by singing as the second performer. transitive
Etymology
From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“I follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Doublet of secund and secundo. Displaced native twoth and partially displaced native other (from Old English ōþer (“other; next; second”)).
From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“I follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Doublet of secund and secundo. Displaced native twoth and partially displaced native other (from Old English ōþer (“other; next; second”)).
From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“I follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Doublet of secund and secundo. Displaced native twoth and partially displaced native other (from Old English ōþer (“other; next; second”)).
From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“I follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Doublet of secund and secundo. Displaced native twoth and partially displaced native other (from Old English ōþer (“other; next; second”)).
From Middle English secunde, seconde, borrowed from Old French seconde, from Medieval Latin secunda, short for secunda pars minuta (“second diminished part (of the hour)”).
From Middle French seconder, from Latin secundō (“assist, make favorable”).
From Middle French seconder, from Latin secundō (“assist, make favorable”).
See also for "second"
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